Not Yet Too Late
by SoullessShadow
Summary: Dr. Wonka looks back at his past with Wonka in regret without realizing he is about to be reunited with him.


Author's note: I'm bored in my mind and am writing some random stuff on occasion. This is one of them but unlike the others, I actually finished this. Wilbur Wonka isn't really my favorite character from the movie but I wrote a story based on him anyway (I might be the first who did.) It takes place right before he and Wonka reunite in the movie. I guess it is one of these heartwarming stories if you love father and son moments. Please feel free to give feedbacks. I always liked to know what others think of what I write and I never thought I'd end up publishing this.

------

Wilbur Wonka sighed as he put down his morning newspaper. Once again the headlines were saying that the famous Willy Wonka was failing miserably with his new candy. He just couldn't understand it. He was so accustomed to read from the papers that his only son was one of the greatest success that the world has ever known. It came quite to a shock for him when he had picked up the paper weeks earlier just to read the front headlines stating that Wonka was failing. How was this possible? If he could he would march to the factory and demand to see his son and ask what was wrong with him.

He shook his head. Of course he couldn't do that. Not only did he doubt that he'd ever get passed those sturdy gates he's read about but he just knew that Willy would refuse to see him. He couldn't blame him. After all, it was HE who disowned and abandoned his only son only because he had ideas for his own that he, as a dentist, wouldn't accept. He finally realized it was the biggest mistake he's ever committed since he first heard of Willy's success.

Wilbur frowned and stood from his chair, making his way towards the window to stare at the quick falling snow outside. How stubborn and foolish he had been. Just because his own father was a dentist as well and never had a dream of his own, he became one and he felt nothing wrong with that. He didn't know what it was like to have a dream so perhaps that was the reason he didn't acknowledge Willy's. He just didn't understood what it felt like wanting to become something very badly that you just couldn't help but chase it. But he always had a mind of his own and refused to listen whenever Willy mentioned he wanted become something other than a lawyer or a dentist like he was.

What used to be stubbornness at these thoughts now became regrets. He supposed he never quite understood himself why he had to be strict. It probably had something to do with his wife. If she hadn't died when Willy was only two then perhaps he would have never considered become so harsh for he remembered being happy with his son and wife. When she died something just left him and filled with misery. He wondered if he took out some of his anger on his son even though he knew it wasn't his fault that his mother was gone. It was also the fact that Willy was too young to lose his mother. It was harder on Wilbur than on Willy though because he didn't have much memory of her but he remembered him saying that he remembers her a little. It was at a time were he had a rare tender relationship with him for a moment when he was four.

He was woken up in the middle of the night by a voice that whispered 'papa'. He was annoyed to see Willy in his room, at the side of his bed clutching onto that strange stuffed bear he received as a gift at his birth. He remembered being tired and angry at Willy for waking him up this late at night. When he asked to explain himself the boy just whispered that he dreamed of his mother. That's when he felt all his anger subside and replaced with pity. He remembered having very seldom moments that he had pity for Willy and this was one of them. He remembered sitting up and scooping his son up with both arms, letting him rest on his bed. It was the only time he allowed him to sleep with him as to ease the pain a child feels over a loss.

Dr. Wonka blinked out of the flashback and realized that was one of the few occasions were he actually was acting the way a father should to his child. At the rest of the large time he was… just not very caring. When Willy announced to him that he wanted to become a chocolatier his mind snapped and refused to accept this statement. When Willy said he was running away Wilbur finally felt fed up with his son and announced that he won't be here when he comes back. He made sure he kept this promise the hard way.

At this point of the flashback, Wilbur grimaced. Some father he was. It was horrible enough not giving Willy the childhood he deserved. He needed someone who'd listen to him, someone who would walk with him on the first day of school, someone who lets him eat candy AT LEAST once in awhile, someone who gives him hugs when needed, someone who supports him for what he wanted to be. He did none of those. Instead he abandoned him.

Since he knew about his son's success he realized how foolish he was. What a horrible father he was. Willy was capable of handling things on his own and was able to achieve his dream without letting his rotten father stop him. And the success kept on growing, growing, and growing… until this day.

He sensed that something was wrong with his son otherwise his success wouldn't drop so sudden. He wished he could go see him and ask him what's wrong like a father usually should when they sense something wrong. But he knew he couldn't. He had already accepted the fact that he most likely will never see his son again except in the newspaper. If he could start all over again with Willy then it would be different. Much different. But it was far too late to start all over. He wanted a second chance but it was impossible to even hope for one. For what he did was inexcusable and could fully understand that Willy hates him. Why did it take him so long to realize his mistakes and selfishness?

He adverted his gaze from the window and walked towards the newspaper clippings on the wall. He would admire them as he usually did but knowing that something is troubling Willy that is causing his failure, he just couldn't feel the proudness he held for him. It was the same feeling he had when he read about Willy closing down the factory, supposedly forever as he announced. Even back at that time he wished that he could have talked to him. But unlike last time, he knew what the problem was. Thieves had been stealing his secret ingredients that much he knew. This time he didn't know what was happening. He wished he could turn back time and start all over. This time he would be there for his only son and support him. If he had done this instead of abandoning him then he would probably be at his side. It could have been like that but because of his stubbornness it just didn't work out that way.

"It would have been different this time," He muttered under his breath. "Forgive me for not being much of a father to you, William."

His thoughts and muttering were interrupted by the doorbell. He frowned, suspecting it was someone who needed a checkup. But he couldn't figure out why it had to be on a day where it's really snowy outside. Who'd come in the middle of nowhere in a semi-snowstorm anyway?

He put those thoughts away and went to open the door. Though he still continued working as a dentist he preferred to be alone and have fewer patients come here for checkups and such. That was one reason why his house was in the middle of nowhere in the first place but that usually didn't stop people from coming here. Even if it isn't so many it was more than enough for him.

When he opened the door his sight fell down to a young boy, around the age ten or eleven. He stared sharply at this boy and put on his icy attitude which he usually had towards his patients.

"Do you have an appointment?" He asked coldly.

"No," The boy answered as he motioned towards someone behind him. "But he's overdue."

Dr. Wonka glanced towards the man who was standing behind the boy. He looked rather odd with the oversized coat, hat, and those silly black goggles. When he eyed at him he noticed the man was facing away from him, appearing to be flustered for some reason. As if he were a child who was too scared to come here for a dental checkup and it seemed like the boy was the parent who made sure he would get it. It was a ridiculous sight for him but decided to ignore it.

"Come in." He muttered as he held the door open for them.

Once they entered he closed the door and motioned towards the coat hangers on the left side of the door.

"Feel free to hang your hat and coats there."

He went ahead and walked into the room where he kept his dental equipment and the dental chair. He waited for the boy and the man to come into the room so he could start. He was eager to do so because the sooner he starts the sooner he finishes, the sooner they leave giving him the chance to alone again.

They came in soon afterwards and Wilbur could see that the man has taken off his hat and goggles which he was a bit relived to see because he just thought he looked plain silly with them on. He wondered if his parents are aware that he dresses like this. Then again, this man was too old to be concerned about parents so he dropped the thought. He walked toward the dental chair and eyed at the man once again.

"Lie down." He said in a commanding tone.

He saw the man flinch at the tone of his voice and nervously made his way toward the chair. He got onto it and Wilbur adjusted the back of the chair level to a lower level that got the stranger on it to fall backward onto the position of lying down. He made no sound and just stared back at Wilbur which annoyed him. He tried to ignore the stares he was getting and brought the lamp above closer, taking out his dental tools, ready to get to work.

"Now let's see what the damage is, shall we?" It was something he said to most patients and it eventually became a habit.

The man continued to stare nervously at him and hesitantly opened his mouth. Soon as he did Wilbur got to work and looked through his teeth. He could see how perfect and white his teeth were at the first glance and figured this wouldn't be a major thing if he discovered anything. He didn't know how wrong he was.

As he continued to exam the teeth he couldn't help but notice that the man was still staring at him. It was nothing uncommon about that during a situation like this but most of his patients close their eyes when he does this and what else bothered him is that this man was staring at him as if he never seen a human being before. He could tell he was trying to not to stare and occasionally glanced at the tools that were going through his mouth but his eyes always ended back on him. Wilbur was tempted to say something or glance back in a cold way that lets the man know to stare at something else but continued to focus on the teeth instead, pretending as if he didn't know he was being stared at. Though he did give out a brief glance back at the man's eyes and for a moment he thought he saw something familiar but shrugged it off as he always did when working.

A minute later he felt something else that felt very familiar. As he looked through the teeth it gave him the feeling he already checked them before… from sometime long ago.

"Oh my," He couldn't help wondering out loud. "I haven't seen bicuspids like those since…" He glanced back at the man who was still staring. He had this child-like look on his face as if he were afraid. It looked familiar. Those eyes looked familiar. It was as if he was staring at… "Willy?"

The man closed his mouth when the tools moved away from his mouth and swallowed.

"Hi dad."

There was an awkward silence between them and Wilbur felt himself in loss of words and in shock. This… person was his son? Was it really him? It seemed too good to be true and far too unlikely that he actually comes face-to-face with him after all this thinking that they would never see each other again. But these eyes… and the teeth... Those were his son's teeth and those eyes were his dearly departed wife's which also happened to be his son's.

When he realized this was really his son something inside melted. And for the first time in many, many years, Dr. Wonka smiled. And it was a smile that was real and not fake or sinister. His mind was racing and he was filled with mixed emotions. His son was really here! He always convinced himself Willy would never come to him to see him but here he was! He felt like laughing. He wanted to tell Willy how happy he was to see him. He wanted ask him how it was going with him and what else he's been doing with his life. He wanted to tell him how incredible it was for him to be here because he was just thinking of him. But being too caught up with words he could only say something simple that didn't seem unlikely to come out from him.

"All these years… and you haven't flossed." He kept himself from chuckling. He watched Willy shake his head lightly.

"Not once…"

Wilbur's smile increased. That was something that didn't seem unlikely to come out of his mouth either. Things were starting to make sense too. The staring and the nervousness… It still seemed unreal.

Dr. Wonka stood from his chair and Willy sat up, their eyes never leaving each others gaze. As happy as he was he could see that his son was still a little unsure of this situation. Of course he could understand that because of the past and what he has done but he wanted to show Willy that he has changed over the years. He outstretched his arm a little and slowly clenched his hand into a tight first, making the rubbery sound as usual since he wore latex gloves often. He often did this when he was in deep thought. He wanted to make up with Willy and show him that his thoughts about him have completely changed. He did the one thing he found himself regretting he didn't do often in the past. He outstretched his arms and embraced Willy.

He was a little surprised that he leaned forward onto him, resting his head on his chest and returning the embrace in a light way.

It still seemed unlikely and Wilbur found himself thinking that this was nothing but a dream and he's about to wake up. But deep inside he was convinced it was real. He searched for words to say something but so much emotion went through him that he decided that silence was best for the moment.

He glanced up briefly when he noticed the boy walking out the room, probably to give them time alone. For some reason, Wilbur had a feeling it was because of this child he was holding his own at the very moment. Did he bring him here? Who was he anyway and how did he get to know Willy? He decided to put off these thoughts until later.

A few brief moments later he decided to say something. He was no longer this strict dentist who didn't feel like spending time with his only child. He now wanted to be that father who allowed his child into his bed when he felt lonely and dreamed empty dreams of his mother. No longer would he push him away but welcome him instead. He had to let Willy know that. He just had to.

"I want to let you know that I'm very proud of you."

Wonka glanced up at his father with some disbelief.

"Really?"

He nodded, smiling.

"I… I want to start all over again with you. Only this time you won't hear me giving you any commands. You are free to be who you want to be and do the things you want to do. You are best off doing so. I was too late to realize this and I ended up committing mistakes after the next. I am sorry."

A smile of relief came across Wonka's face and it seemed that all the cold ice between them had finally shattered. Dr. Wonka mused. The greatest odds had just happened that never, in his wildest dreams, would he have thought to overcome. It seems that it wasn't too late for a second chance after all.

-Fin-


End file.
